1
Check Licensing Prerequisites
CRITICAL
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Verify current Microsoft 365 subscription (E3/E5, Business Premium/Standard, F1/F3, or A3/A5)
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Purchase Copilot licenses via Microsoft 365 admin center (€30/user/month)
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Assign Copilot licenses to pilot users (15-20 recommended)
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Verify licenses activated (may take up to 24 hours)
Note: The 300-seat minimum has been removed. Monthly billing is now available with no annual commitment required.
2
Prepare Test & Pilot Environment
HIGH
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Create test tenant or dedicated pilot group
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Select cross-functional pilot team (IT, HR, Sales, Finance)
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Develop communication plan for pilot announcement
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Review and update conditional access policies
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Enable SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM) if available
3
Update Office Channels & Apps
CRITICAL
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Switch to Current Channel or Monthly Enterprise Channel
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Enable automatic updates for Office apps
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Verify Office Feature Updates task is running
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Update all pilot users to latest Office version
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Test Copilot button appears in Office apps
Important: Copilot is NOT available in Semi-Annual Enterprise Channel. Current Channel provides the best experience.
4
Configure Network Access
CRITICAL
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Allow Microsoft 365 worldwide URLs and IP ranges
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Whitelist copilot.microsoft.com
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Whitelist *.copilot.microsoft.com
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Whitelist *.bing.com and *.bingapis.com
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Whitelist *.cloud.microsoft (future domain)
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Enable WebSocket (WSS) connections
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Verify TLS inspection doesn't break connections
5
Review Privacy & Connected Experiences
MEDIUM
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Enable third-party cookies in Office Online apps
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Review privacy controls for connected experiences
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Inform data protection officer about Copilot data flows
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Document that prompts/responses aren't used for training
6
Enable App Experiences
HIGH
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Test Copilot in Word, Excel, PowerPoint
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Enable new Outlook for Copilot features
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Turn on Teams transcription or recording
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Enable Loop and Whiteboard if needed
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Configure Teams Phone for PSTN calls (if applicable)
7
Implement Security Measures
CRITICAL
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Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users
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Turn on unified audit logging
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Review top 100 SharePoint sites for oversharing
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Apply sensitivity labels to confidential content
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Configure Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies
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Disable "Everyone except external users" sharing
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Set up Purview audit monitoring
8
Configure Copilot Settings
MEDIUM
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Access Copilot Control System in admin center
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Verify license assignment status
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Configure data security settings
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Decide on web grounding (Bing) access
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Manage plugin permissions
9
Roll Out in Phases
HIGH
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Complete pilot phase (4-6 weeks)
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Gather pilot feedback and metrics
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Identify Copilot champions
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Create department rollout schedule
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Monitor adoption metrics
10
Train Users & Support Adoption
CRITICAL
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Conduct basic training for all employees
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Create role-specific training materials
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Develop prompt libraries and templates
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Set up support channels (Teams, help desk)
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Share success stories and use cases
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Schedule regular check-ins and Q&A sessions
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Measure time savings and ROI
Remember: Copilot adoption is a process, not a one-time event. Plan for ongoing training and support as features evolve.